


The Next Right Thing

by ArianneNightingale



Category: Fate: The Winx Saga (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-19 02:21:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29867697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArianneNightingale/pseuds/ArianneNightingale
Summary: "Knowing Rosalind, she'd be out for blood. Farah repressed a shudder at the thought of any of her students bearing the brunt of Rosalind's thirst for revenge. No, it'd be better if it was her blood Rosalind was after. At least she'd be able handle it"In an ultimate act of sacrifice,  Farah decides to give up her position as headmistress in order to stay at Alfea and hopefully protect her students from Rosalind.
Relationships: Farah Dowling/Saul Silva
Comments: 72
Kudos: 116





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I know I said I was going to be rather busy, but apparently I can't help myself.... 
> 
> This is going to be the complete opposite of my last fic "The Siren". I'm sure I'll write something more light hearted after this, but this story is going to be pretty dark I'm afraid. Though there will be some Farah/Saul towards the end, I promise. 
> 
> (The title is taken from one of my favourite songs from frozen.)
> 
> I'd love to know what you think and of course if you have any suggestions/requests for this story 😊

"So.." 

Farah lend back almost imperceptibly when Rosalind moved closer. She loathed the woman, but she'd be damned to give her the satisfaction of knowing her presence was making her even the slightest bit uncomfortable. 

"Now all we have to talk about is you." 

The older woman looked at her with a predatory smile that made her skin crawl. Still, on the outside she barely moved a muscle. Her features stayed schooled in the same stoic look with which she'd listened to the mention of Saul's arrest. At hearing the news, a feeling of dread washed over her like a tidal wave. Fully aware just how close she and Saul had been since their training days, Rosalind was obviously trying to throw her off balance. However, if she was waiting for a reaction she could wait a very long time indeed. 

"I think you should take a sabbatical. Head to the mountains. Take a break."

Rosalind was so close Farah could feel her breath on her skin. There was something deeply unsettling about the honeyed tones in which the words were spoken. Utterly disgusted by the woman in front of her, every inch of Farah's body screamed to get away. Once upon a time she'd respected Rosalind, admired her even. Before she'd shown her true colours. Yet, thinking back to it now, there'd always been signs her former mentor was ruthless. The way she had seemed to relish in breaking them - one by one - during their training sessions. And woe to those who failed to live up to her standards. Farah had fortunately never experienced her mentor's wrath in that way, but she certainly heard the stories. Of course back then she'd dismissed them as mere rumours. It was only much later she realised each one of them - even the most horrendous - had been true. It made her sick to her stomach to even think about it now. 

"You've worked so hard. " 

Rosalind continued with the same mocking tone, in a further attempt to rile her up. Clearly delighting in the wicked little game she was playing, which was eerily similar to a cat releasing and recapturing a prey. Finally, Farah couldn't take it anymore.

"There's no way I'm leaving this school or my students." 

She grabbed the front of Rosalind's coat in a warning gesture, physically towering over the other woman. Rosalind merely smiled serenely at this. The wheels in her head already turning at the idea that was rapidly forming in her mind. 

"Not even if it means openly submitting to me? Because those would be the only terms under which I'd even consider letting you stay."

This was going better than expected. She was sure Farah was going to be trouble and the only way to deal with that kind of trouble was to eliminate it swiftly. Of course she should have realised the current headmistress of Alfea would be willing to do whatever it took to protect her students. The endless possibilities this presented were making her feel almost giddy.

"Not even then." 

Farah loosened her grip in resignation, letting her hands fall idly beside her. She felt empty, as if she'd just sold her soul to the devil. And in a way she had. Not that there was any going back now. She knew fully well what Rosalind was capable of. And there was no chance in hell the past sixteen years in captivity had softened her former teacher in any way. Quite the opposite. Knowing Rosalind, she'd be out for blood. Farah repressed a shudder at the thought of any of her students bearing the brunt of Rosalind's thirst for revenge. No, better if it was her blood Rosalind was after. At least she'd be able handle it. 

"You'll call an assembly first thing and publicly announce you're stepping down as headmistress. From that moment on, you'll address me as headmistress in front of the students, treating me with the respect my position demands." 

The assembly would be humiliating, Rosalind would make sure of that. But at least it meant she could stay and teach, support her students in whichever ways necessary and hopefully keep them from doing anything particularly stupid.

"You can stay on to teach, but you'll follow my curriculum. Bloom, Beatrix, Stella and a few selected fairies will be privately tutored by me." 

Farah's blood ran cold at this next bit of information. She felt particulay apprehensive at the notion of Rosalind teaching Stella, given her history with erratic magic. Being all too familiar with Rosalind's teaching techniques, she feared such private sessions might very well result in permanent damage to the light fairy's magic. Having already started plotting in her head how she might best help not only Stella, but also the other chosen few, Farah startled slightly when Rosalind continued. 

"You'll refrain from offering them any advice or teaching, in fact you'll refrain from even speaking to them." 

Farah's eyes widened. She couldn't tell if Rosalind had just managed to read her mind without her noticing, or if she simply knew her well enough to guess. Either way, the idea was unsettling. 

"And lastly, you'll send any rabblerousers to me..." She paused briefly, as if to gauch Farah's reaction. "...to deal with as I see fit. Am I making myself clear?" 

Rosalind's words never lost their pleasant tone, but the sinister underlying meaning was crystal clear to Farah. Troublemakers would undoubtedly be met by severe punishment.

"Perfectly." 

Her voice didn't falter as she kept eye contact. She held head high in an attempt to preserve a last shred of pride, despite having agreed to submit to the will of the woman she hated above all else. 

\------

"There is a war on the horizon." 

Farah realised she was echoing what Rosalind had said to her earlier and briefly wondered if Rosalind herself had written the words on the paper she was holding, or if she'd gotten one of her minions to do it. 

"As students of Alfea you are being trained to protect the realms against potential threats. It is the general belief that your training so far has been somewhat lacking in preparation for what's to come." 

She had to grit her teeth to suppress any trace of defiance at the barely veiled bit of direct criticism at her and Saul. She could practically feel Rosalind's satisfied grin behind her. She couldn't let her aversion get the better of her, though. This was the only way she could stay, she reminded herself. The only way to be able to keep an eye on her students. To hopefully protect them to some degree from Rosalind's methods.

"That is why I have decided to step down as headmistress to make way for someone better suited to this role." 

She looked out at the sea of bewildered faces. None of them would be able to understand that this was her sacrifice for them, to keep them safe. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Musa's eyes starting to glow purple. Part of her wanted to allow the empath to sense her unwillingness. But it was well past the point where she could indulge in such selfish purposes. No, it was time to put selfishness aside, to swallow her pride and pretend to support Rosalind. With a degree of reluctance, Farah raised her mental barriers to block the young mind fairy and soon a mixture of disappointment and confusing appeared on Musa's face.

"Headmistress Graythorne" 

Having reached the end of the words on the paper, Farah gestured to the blonde woman that had come up next to her. She bowed her head in a minimal, but perceptible movement, an act of surrender which completed her humiliation. Rosalind wouldn't have accepted any less. 

"Thank you Farah." 

Deliberately using her first name to emphasise the shift in power, Rosalind took the stage. Though Farah made sure to maintain a pleasant facade, her hands were clenched into fists inside the pockets of her coat. She was aware of the gawking faces that followed her descend, both literal and symbolic.

"Some changes will be made around here in the coming weeks." 

As Farah listened to Rosalind's speech, she locked eyes with Ben. His kind face mirroring the growing dread she was feeling herself. She managed to keep a relatively smooth face throughout the whole of Rosalind's adress, but by the end her resilience had run out. Immediately after Rosalind's speech had ended, she turned on her heels and stalked away. 

"Miss Dowling?"

Bloom half walked half ran after her teacher, who was moving at a considerable speed.

"Miss Dowling wait!"

Bloom repeated her call when Dowling showed no signs of stopping. She started to actually run now in an attempt to catch up. When she turned the next corner, her eyes widened at the sight. There was no sign of the tall figure of the former headmistress. It was as if she'd vanished into thin air. Bloom came to a halt, unsure what to do next. Perhaps miss Dowling could make herself invisible like Stella and Rosalind. Or maybe she had teleported. Was that even a thing? Not for the first time, Bloom cursed her still rather lacking knowledge of fairy magic. 

"Bloom." 

It felt as if her insides turned to ice upon hearing the voice. Familiar and yet strange. The eyes that met her own upon turning around were those of a stranger too. Cold. Harsh. So unlike the air of helpfulness the woman had given off when Bloom had freed her. Or maybe she'd simply seen what she wanted to see in her eagerness to find out where she was from. Either way, it was as if a veil had been lifted away, showing Rosalind's true nature. 

"I'll expect you in my office at 9 sharp." 

She said in a way that made it more than clear she wouldn't tolerate even a second of tardiness. Before Bloom could so much as reply, Rosalind had marched past her down the empty hallway. Like Bloom she was determined to speak with Farah Dowling. Though, unlike Bloom, she knew exactly where to find her. After all, having observed her for years - not just during her training, but also out on missions - Rosalind had gotten to know her very well indeed. She knew what made her tick, could sense every twitch of every muscle, recognised all the tell tale signs of discomfort and revelled in them. She had waited sixteen years for revenge and how sweet it turned out to be. The great Farah Dowling having to obey her every whim. She would make her grovel like the little lapdog she was destined to be. 

Carefully schooling her features she knocked on Farah's door. The younger woman tried and failed to hide her displeasure upon seeing who her visitor was. Nevertheless, she stepped aside to let the headmistress pass.

"I think that all went very well." 

Rosalind clearly delighted in kicking her when she was down. Farah had made a beeline for her private quarters, yearning for a moment to let down her guard before her lessons started and the whole pantomime began again. 

"Tell me how it felt. To have to roll over and give up in front of your precious students." 

There was pure venom in Rosalind's voice. Now she'd gotten what she wanted she made no effort to conceal her feelings behind pleasantries. For the second time that day she entered Farah's personal space and this time the mind fairy stepped back involuntarily, caught off guard. The glee on the other woman's face was unbearable. 

"It will be interesting to see how the students adapt. I imagine it will be rather a shock for most of them. They've been coddled so far." 

Rosalind continued after a moment of silence. She let her eyes glide over Farah in a mixture of disapproval and perverse pleasure in putting her former student in her place. There seemed to be so something darker too in her gaze, something Farah couldn't quite place, but was sure didn't bode well. 

"Still, I'm sure most of them will fall in line soon enough. As for the few exceptions..." 

She didn't finish her sentence, she didn't need to. Having achieved what she set out to do, Rosalind left Farah alone to contemplate the unspoken words still hanging in the air. 

\-----

How she'd made it through her lessons Farah didn't know. She was exhausted by the end of the day when she let herself flop rather ungracefully into one of the comfortable chairs in Ben's living room. The botany professor handed her a drink before sitting down opposite her. 

"How are you feeling?" 

Ben asked gingerly after she had been quiet for a long time. She took a deep breath, as though needing to gather enough strength to answer that question. 

"Honestly?" She sounded tired as tired as she looked. 

"I'm scared Ben. You remember what Rosalind was like in our days. I fear it's going to be even worse this time around." 

The last sentence was barely a whisper. He knew she was right. Rosalind had something to prove. And while she had always been relentless, the years in confinement seemed to have turned tenacity into malice.

"I won't be able to protect them from all of it. Stella's magic has just started to heal. And Bloom..." She trailed of, shaking her head. 

"Who knows what horrors Rosalind will resort to in order to get her to transform again. And then there's Saul..." 

Her voice broke at the mental image of Saul rotting away in some dark cell. She blinked rapidly to get rid of the burning sensation behind her eyes. 

"Fuck! Sorry..." 

She said as she felt the tears leave her eyes despite her considerable effort. She never swore anymore. Not since she'd become headmistress. But the combined stress of her encounters with Rosalind that day as well as the continuous worry, had proven too much. 

"You've got nothing to be sorry for. Let it out Farah, it's just me." 

Ben moved towards her and put his arms around her as she broke down. He had known her since they were sixteen, yet he could count the times he'd seen her cry on one hand. She was always the one staying strong for others. While Ben shared her concern for the students, he actually worried most about Farah's own safety while staying at the school After all, it was her who had imprisoned Rosalind all these years ago. 

"Please be careful Farah. Promise me you won't do anything that's going to get you into trouble." 

Or get yourself killed, he added in his head.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Major thank you to everyone who's commented, bookmarked or left kudos, it really encourages me to keep writing 😊. 
> 
> I hope enjoy this second chapter! I'd love to hear your thoughts 💕

The cell was three by four, Saul knew from pacing up and down like a caged animal. It was damp and cold. By day he would exercise, pace, anything to keep warm and keep his mind of off her. If it was even day. There really was no way of tellin down there. At night he would shiver under the thin blanket and when sleep eluded him, his mind would find its way to her anyway, filling him with worry. They had all played a part in capturing Rosalind sixteen years ago, but it was Farah's magic that had set the while thing in motion, not to mention having held their former leader in stasis all this time. He knew Rosalind wouldn't forget and she most certainly wouldn't forgive. 

Saul remembered that particular day as clearly as if it was Yesterday. How they had walked through the ruins of Aster Dell, the smell of burned human flesh thick in the air, making him gag. Having just killed his best friend - the father of his godson - his thoughts had been miles away when suddenly the world seemed to fall to pieces. They all knew Farah was powerful, but the power she had exuded that day had taken them all by surprise, including Rosalind. Overcome by horror at what they'd just done, the swirls of energy that were pulled towards her were spectacular and terrifying at the same time. For a split second all seemed to come to a complete standstill, leaving her at the centre of it, tall and imposing. Then everything around them exploded in desperate rage. Saul's gaze immediately turned to Rosalind, who's eyes were starting to glow. Before she could even start making a move to take Farah down, Saul lunged forward and hit her in the head with the dull end of his sword. She was knocked out cold, but Saul spared her no second glance. His eyes were solely focussed on the exhausted fairy in front of him. When her knees buckled he was there to catch her, slowly allowing them to sink to the ground together. They clung to each other like they were drowning, while Ben had the presence of mind to give Rosalind something to keep her unconscious until Farah had regained enough strength to set up a permanent prison. 

Rosalind was supposed to spend the rest of her days in there. Unconscious. It wasn't nearly as cruel a fate as she deserved, but Farah could never be cruel. As much as she hated the woman for blindsiding them, It was painfully clear she hated herself even more. Being the person closest to Rosalind, she could never shake the feeling she should have known something was off. She should have questioned her. Saul knew better. Rosalind was a vault when it came to her secrets, there was no way Farah- or Ben for that matter - could have guessed what she was planning. And now Rosalind was free, with the support of the queen at her back, there was really no telling what she would do next. He could only hope Farah would keep herself safe.

\-------

The first three weeks passed without major incident. It was clear the students were wary of the new headmistress and headmaster, still trying to figure out what to make of them. Shortly after the assembly, Farah had noticed a major shift in the atmosphere. Uncertainty weighed down on the school like a blanket. Everywhere hushed whispers were to be heard, only to die down immediately when either Rosalind on Andreas walked past. The new headmistress had begun to make changes to the training schedules right away. On the second day, the courtyard had been converted to a second training field to accommodate the newly introduced combat lessons of the fairies. Rosalind had started slowely, almost gently, which Farah felt had to be a tactical move. She didn't doubt Rosalind would increase the intensity of these lessons bit by bit until it resembled the kind of training Farah was used to. Where students had to fight one another, only stopping when Rosalind said it was enough. Which, more often than not, was when one of the parties literally dropped to the ground unmovingly. There was no giving up before that, they would learn that the hard way. And there was definitely no mercy for the fallen. 

That would be the easy part. Though it went against everything she stood for, Farah knew from experience one could get used to that bit. To the bruises, to having to visit the medic in the middle of practice to be fixed up for the next round. The worst part was yet to come. When Rosalind believed they were ready, she'd select the most promising individuals, manage to find a weak spot and prod it until breaking point. Eventually, the students would be instructed to seriously hurt or injure their friends - their classmates - not just in fair battle, but in the most vicious way possible. There was no refusing, Rosalind demanded absolute obedience from her soldiers. And that's what they were to her; soldiers. 

However, Rosalind was smart enough to refrain from introducing such training tactics at first. The last thing she needed was a rebellion. No she needed to slowly crush the spirits of those still loyal to Farah. She had pretended so far not to hear the fervent whispered plotting of a few stupid specialists and fairies. She'd need to set an example first, scare them into falling in line. Only when she had full control, she could move on to the next step. Until then, she had to be content with regular practice sessions.

Farah was required to be present during these trainings, giving pointers were necessary. Of course, under the watchful eye of the headmistress, she had to make sure to stay away from Stella and Bloom. And although the latter had been trying to speak with her since the first day of term, knew better than to do so when Rosalind was watching Farah like a hawk. During Rosalind's private tutoring sessions, on the other hand, Farah wad tasked with teaching the leftovers, the fairies that hadn't been handpicked to be taught by Rosalind herself. As promised, Farah had received a curriculum detailing what she was supposed to teach these students. Farah had been relieved to learn there wasn't anything particularly wrong with the curriculum Rosalind had designed, apart from focusing solely on preparing the fairies for battle. 

It was evident Rosalind didn't really care for the education of the less gifted students, and as such these lessons had quickly become the only time she and her students could relax. During these moments, the fairies smiled when something went wrong, as opposed to freezing on the spot, looking around fearfully to see if anyone noticed. Although Rosalind was yet to show her more cruel side, the students could obviously sense the darkness lurking under the surface. They had even tried to ask Farah about headmistress Graythorne on multiple occasions, but after each of their questions had been shot down, they knew better than to ask anymore. 

It was at the end of the fourth week that her lesson was abruptly interrupted in the last five minutes when Bloom stormed into her classroom all guns blazing. 

"Miss Dowling I really need to speak with you." 

The fire fairy looked like she could literally start fuming any second. Which, of course was indeed possible, with fire being her natural element. 

"You really shouldn't be here Bloom." 

Farah said in a much gentler tone than she'd usually reserve for anyone disturbing her class. Not being allowed to go near Bloom, she hadn't even had the opportunity to explain why she'd been avoiding her. Apparently Bloom had reached the end of her patience.

"I'm not going anywhere until you speak to me."

Bloom crossed her arms demonstratively. Farah sighed, but nevertheless gestured to her class they were dismissed. If she was going to have to deal with this, it be best to do it quickly. 

"What did you want to talk to me about?" 

She queried after the last student had left the room. With a swift movement of her hand, the door closed itself. 

"Rosalind-" 

"Headmistress Graythorne" Farah interjected. 

""She's making Stella draw on negative emotions again. Stella's too scared to say anything because of her mum, but it's barbaric what Ros- I mean the headmistress is doing." 

Farah had expected nothing less from Rosalind's private teaching. Nevertheless, it was rather disconcerting to hear Rosalind had started on the negative emotions with Stella quite so soon. 

"I will try and speak with headmistress Graythorne, but I highly doubt it will make much of a difference." 

It should have been the end of the conversation, but Bloom made no move to leave yet. She had planted her feet firmly in the ground, making it perfectly clear she hadn't gotten what she came for yet. 

"So what do you want us to do?"

Despite not saying it out loud, Bloom's actual meaning was unmistakable. It hadn't escaped her notice some of the students were secretly entertaining the notion of rebelling against Rosalind and they were obviously waiting for her to give them some sort of sign.

"What I want you to do is keep your heads down and make sure you stay out of trouble." 

Farah said sternly. The very last thing she wanted was for the students was to defy Rosalind in her name. Although they meant well, it would only make matters worse. Especially whole Queen Luna was still supporting the headmistress. 

"But-" Bloom started to protest before swiftly being cut off.

"No buts. Now back to your suite before Graythorne finds you here. " 

The finality in her voice was unmistakable. And though Bloom looked like she was about to say more, she thought better of it upon seeing the strict expression on Dowling's face. 

\---

Back in her suite, Bloom was quick to share the exchange with her friends. 

"Keeping or heads down. She can't be serious..." 

Bloom was pacing up and down the room in frustration. How could Miss Dowling just let this happen? How could she agree to go down without a fight?

"I hate to say this Bloom, but Dowling might be right." 

Aisha said carefully, raising her hands defensively when Bloom stopped pacing a threw her a furious look. 

"So you want to do nothing? How can you even say that? She's turning the school into some -" 

Bloom's hands were beginning to smoke slightly, making Aisha take a step back. Stella, on the other hand, stepped forward in an attempt to reason with the frantic fairy. 

"Look Bloom, I get it, I really do. But Graythorne has my mother's support, even if we could manage to take back the school, it would be temporary at best. Not to mention the consequences Dowling would face." 

Stella had sensed the change as well, there wasn't any laughter anymore I the hallways. Fairies and specialists hurried to and from their classes keeping their eyes trained on the ground. Nobody stopped and chatted anymore. And then there was the omnious feeling in the air, as if something bad was about to happen. Which was exactly why Stella felt if Dowling was worried, they all should be worried.

"You know Graythorne used to teach my father and Miss Dowling. And I can tell you, my father is properly scared of her. They might know something about her that we don't." 

Terra came to Stella's aid and Musa nodded in agreement. She had never had any problem reading Dowling, but ever since the instalment of the new headmistress she'd been like a locked door. There was obviously something far more serious going on than any of them could guess at present. At any rate, Musa was sure if they were to make any move against Rosalind, it would most definitely be on Dowling's head rather than their own. She might not be able to read the new headmistress, but she had in fact noticed the way Graythorne followed Miss Dowling's every move. Undoubtedly waiting for her to put one foot out of place. Musa could only guess what the headmistress might do if she did.


	3. Chapter 3

It was nearing ten when Farah knocked on the door of the office. The irony of having to knock on her own door wasn't lost on her, but she didn't waste any time dwelling on this notion. She had more important matters to occupy her thoughts.

"Come in." 

She didn't want to come in. Not really. In fact, she'd been dreading this meeting from the moment she'd made the promise to speak with the headmistress. If it was up to her she would avoid the woman completely. Alas, here she was.

"Good evening. " 

Rosalind was sitting on the sofa, glasses perched on her nose she was reading a thick book, which Farah recognised as one from her own collection. Already knowing who her visitor was, she barely looked up. 

"I would like a word about Stella's tutoring. I understand you're having her use negative emotions." 

She hated how meek her voice sounded, but she knew when it came to Rosalind she wouldn't get anywhere without the necessary amount of groveling. Besides, she was aware she was walking a fine line here, she needed to avoid aggravating the headmistress at all costs. 

"And where have you heard that?"

Her interest peeked, Rosalind stood up and slowly took a couple of steps in her direction. Her head tilted slightly in an almost magpie-like fashion, as if inspecting a particularly shiny object. 

"One of her friends told me."

Farah said cooly, keeping a tight lid on her emotions. Technically it wasn't a lie. Though naturally she wasn't about to tell Rosalind exactly which friend had spilled the beans. She might as well pack it in now if Rosalind knew she'd spoken to Bloom against her orders. Not giving the older woman the chance to find out, she quickly continued.

"I have worked with Stella extensively the past year. Her magic needs time to heal. Don't you think -"

She realised her mistake too late. Within three steps Rosalind reached her, slamming her hand flat against the wall next to Farah's head. Farah winced as she felt her back collide with the door handle. 

"No I don't!"

Rosalind spat venomously. So much for not aggravating her, Farah thought to herself.

"You still don't get it do you? The only reason you're even here is because you agreed to do as I say."

The threat in these words was unmistakable. Rosalind wouldn't hesitate to get rid of her if she failed to keep her end of the bargain. Then, as sudden as the changing of winds, Rosalind's gaze softened a bit. 

"I must say I'm surprised you're even asking me this. You must have known it was pointless." 

Rosalind brought a finger to Farah's face and trailed a line down her cheek with the back of the sharp nail. In a sudden move, she moved her hand up to the back of her head, forcing Farah to bend down till she was more or less of eye level with her. 

"Don't ever question me again." 

With that last menacing remark, she let go of Farah's hair and casually walked back to the sofa as if nothing of interest had happened. She picked up the discarded book and without sparing the younger woman another glance sat down to continue reading. Taking this as a hint she was dismissed, Farah left the office feeling deflated. Rosalind was right, she'd known it was a lost cause even before she asked. Still she'd had to at least try instead of standing by idly while Stella Rahm the risk of permanently damaging her magic. 

As she made her way to her room, she passed two grim looking Solarians on her way. Ever since Rosalind's installation there had always been a few soldiers present, making it absolutely clear who's side Queen Luna was on. It wasn't the first time there were soldiers in the school, they had been there when she herself had been a student at Alfea. Of course back then they'd primarily been there to secure the perimeters and to accompany field training, they hadn't patrolled the school like it was some sort of prison. 

When she finally reached the comfort of her private quarters she left or a groan that felt like she'd been holding all day. She hated feeling useless. The whole point of this was so she could be of help to her students. Fat lot of good she'd been so far...The only thing she'd accomplished today was antagonising Rosalind. She shook her head. If she wanted to make a difference she needed to do so under the radar, well out of sight of the headmistress's eyes. There really was only one such place in the entire school: her classroom. Rosalind only took interest in the fairies that showed talent on the battlefield, the others were of no value to her other than in numbers. Farah was sure her former mentor couldn't actually be bothered to monitor her lessons, the most she might do was drop in unannounced. Still, if she went about it the right way, even that shouldn't be a problem.

According to Rosalind's curriculum she was supposed to start teaching the second year defensive spells this period. Though Rosalind had in fact spelled out most of the lessons for her, she was confident with a bit of squeezing she might fit in a rather different type of defensive magic. One that might just prove useful against the headmistress herself.

\------

Having worked into the small hours of the night, Farah had it all mapped out before her next lessons. She'd quickly go through the magic Rosalind had set out for her, which would leave a few minutes every lesson during which she could teach other types of magic. Starting with some mind magic. Defensive mind magic to be specific. Right now the students were vulnerable in that department, like open books which Rosalind could read at will. There were no secrets from the headmistress at this point. As such, she was sure Rosalind was indeed fully aware of the scheming going on amongst students and had simply chosen not to act on it yet. Farah would feel much more at ease knowing the students could raise some form of mental barrier, just in case. Besides there was another, more pressing reason why she wanted to teach this type of magic specifically. 

"Now usually you wouldn't start learning to control other elements until the second year." 

After making her rounds through the class, she returned to the front of the class and sat down on top of her desk. There were exactly ten minutes left. Enough for her to give instructions and for the fairies to try the exercises out for themselves at least once. The actual practicing they'd have to do on their own after classes.

"However I feel in the.... current situation, it may be.... helpful to master a few protective mind skills." 

She chose her words with the utmost care. Her conversation with Bloom had proven plans for an uprising were already in the making. Any statement from her that might - no matter how loosely - be interpreted as endorsement would be adding major fuel to the fire. She couldn't have that. There was no telling how Rosalind would react, but it was beyond a doubt it would be unpleasant. No, she didn't want uproar. What she really wanted at present was to equip the fairies with the necessary means to survive Alfea under Rosalind's charge. 

"Mind barrier skills are useful for all fairies to learn at some point. What's more, these exercises may not just help you become aware of your emotions, but learn contain them, increasing control of both positive and negative." 

She emphasised the last word while sending a meaningful look at Musa and Aisha. As the only who two fairies from the winx suite who were still attending her classes, they were the only way through which the information could reach the students who needed it the most. Stella, whose magic had been broken once before and would be broken again by the person entrusted to help her cultivate those powers. Bloom, who's heart was in the right place, but whose temper often got the better of her. And terra - a carbon copy of her father - whose sense of right and wrong might easily make her fall out of favour. Only last week, the earth fairy had been handpicked by the headmistress after a - in Farah's opinion - unfortunate display of potential. Having been pitted against both Riven and Dane at the same time, she'd managed to have both on the ground and incapacitated within the first two minutes. The satisfied smile on her face immediately falling when headmistress Graythorne had mentioned private sessions. 

Naturally Ben had been worried sick ever since. While Farah shared his concern, she felt - out of all of them - Terra would probably be best suited to deal with Rosalind. For starters, the young earth fairy had a better check on her temper than Bloom. Besides, she understood the severity of the predicament they were all in and would indeed refrain from doing anything that might make it worse. On top of that, despite losing his wife when the children were young, Ben had managed to provide a stable, loving home for Sam and Terra, something Stella had so painfully lacked in her childhood. So while Farah couldn't help worry, she also trusted Terra was smart and resilient enough to get out more or less unscathed and had told Ben so too, earning a watery smile from the botany professor. 

\--- 

The next day, it became clear Farah's earlier efforts not to give rise to the growing defiance within the school had been fruitless. She first realised something was amiss when she Madre her way to the dining hall after class  
. In the last few weeks, meals had turned into a quiet affair, yet today she could hear sounds of cheers coming from the cafetaria. Furrowing her brow at the unexpected noise, she picked up her pace. Unease starting to swell inside her chest. 

At first she couldn't actually see what was going on. A number of excited students had gathered round in a half circle on the far side of the room, effectively blocking her view. Farah pushed through the rows of students to reach the middle. When they realised who was coming through, the sea of students readily parted. Her heart stopped for a moment at the sight that was revealed. Written on the wall, on eye level, in huge fiery letters stood a message.

'Miss Dowling is the real headmistress of Alfea'

Closest to the text stood a first year fire fairy, his hands still glowing. The cheering - which had increased at her entrance - died down as soon as the crowd noticed the rising panic, which she was trying and failing to supress, make an appearance on her face. 

"Daniel, please remove that text at once, before.." 

The culprit stared at her with wide eyes, as if he'd only now realised what he'd done. He started to make a move to get rid of the text when the headmistress's voice rang out through the hall. Nobody laughed at the way his arms were left almost comically frozen in mid air. In fact, nobody made any sound at all. 

"And what is going on here?"

The spectators sprung apart to make way for Rosalind. Ben followed closely, looking from the text to the boy to Farah in alarm. 

"How quant." 

Rosalind said in a quiet but deadly tone. The first year had turned white as a sheet by now. It was starting to become more and more clear to Farah that writing the text had indeed been a rather impulsive act on his part. And one he was sorely regretting now he was standing eye to eye with Miss Graythorne, on who's face literal storm clouds might as well have been gathering. 

"It seems some of you are still under the mistaken belief you have some sort of say at this school." 

Although Rosalind's voice still sounded soft, almost sweet, none of the students were fooled. Still a shudder went through the crowd when the words suddenly turned harsh and cold. Although Farah was familiar with the way Rosalind tone could shift, she had never found it as disconcerting as in this very minute.

"I've got news for you. As long as you're at this school, you don't have a voice. You don't have an opinion." 

With this statement, the now trembling first year was lifted a free inches from the ground. His body wriggling in the air. 

"I have no use for disobedience." 

He started clawing at his own neck as if to get hold of an invisible rope. His breath turned into wheezing.

""Disloyalty." 

Rosalind spat out the word as if it left a bad taste in her mouth. Another minute movement of her hand and the fairy fairy stopped breathing altogether, his feet now violently kicking in the air. 

"Enough!" 

Farah realised she and Ben had stepped forward simultaneously. With a nudge of her magic she pushed him back, her eyes glowing. He couldn't get mixed up in this. Not when he had Terra and Sam to think about.

"I'd think very carefully before you say or do anything else Farah"

It didn't sound like a warning coming from Rosalind. On the contrary, Farah could've sworn it was a challenge.

"That is unless your offering to take his place?" 

And there it was, an invitation. Making it clear beyond a shadow of a doubt, Rosalind wouldn't mind her stepping in one bit. After all, this was the moment she had been waiting for. The moment to crush the insurgence once and for all. And what better way than to break its figure head? 

"Let him go." 

Despite having figured out motives other woman's motives, Farah took another step towards the struggling first year and motioned for him to be let down. There was no choice really, she couldn't bear allowing Rosalind to continue physically attacking a student.

"With pleasure." 

Rosalind said slowly as if savouring every syllable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I ended up cutting this last scene in half, because this chapter was getting a bit long.  
> It is a little bit of a cliffhanger maybe, but chapter four is almost finished, so you won't have to wait long 😇
> 
> I'd love to hear your thoughts/suggestions/requests 💕


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was rather difficult to write to be honest, I hope it turned out alright in the end. I didn't want to keep you waiting for too long after that last chapter.. As always I'd love to know what you think 😊

"With pleasure." 

Farah felt the surge of magic even before anything happened. It was followed by a white hot pain as cords of light encircled her wrists and raised her arms above her head. Whatever was to come, Rosalind was taking no risks, effectively blocking the mind fairy's magic with her own. Farah held her head high as she was forced to do a half turn until facing her students, who looked like they were rooted to the ground. Knowing Rosalind's hidden agenda, as well as having experienced just how far she was willing to go, Farah realised they might indeed be quite literally rooted to the ground. The headmistress needed them to see this, to once and for all establish her superiority. She couldn't afford them to walk away or, even worse, foolishly try to intervene. The pause that followed was excruciating. It was obvious Rosalind was deliberately drawing out the wait, realising how unbearable it would be, not knowing what exactly was to come. It felt like her nerve endings were wide open, adrenaline rushed through her veins as she imagined one horrible scenario after another. 

Her breath died in her throat when suddenly she felt the back of her blouse being ripped apart. The force of the first strike was enough to have hurled her forward hadn't it been for the rope keeping her in place. She hissed as she felt her skin breaking. A warm trickle of blood slowely started running down her back. Yet, the screams that reverberated through the space weren't her own. And she soon realised the unsettling sound was in fact coming from the spectators, who were still standing frozen - a curtesy of Rosalind's magic, she was now sure - and were being forced to watch helplessly as the scene unfolded. She was reminded in that moment that she needed to keep it together. If she were to crumble, this would become infinitely worse for them to witness, not to mention it being exactly what Rosalind was after. With that in mind, she bit her tongue to keep herself from screaming at the pain searing through her body at the following lashings.

"Let this be a lesson to all of you. Insolence will not be tolerated at this school." 

Farah couldn't see Rosalind, but she could easily imagine her standing there, calmly flicking her wrist at every strike of magic. She felt her legs beginning to give out underneath her, putting more and more weight on her raised arms. With considerable effort she straightened her back again. She wouldn't break, she wouldn't give Rosalind what she wanted. Her eyes searched for something to focus on other than the shocked, tear stained faces in front of her. Hissing under her breath again at a particularly nasty hit, her gaze moved to the back of the room, falling on the pair of soldiers stationed near the door. The one closest near the entrance looked familiar somehow, though she couldn't remember where she'd seen him before. The soldier shifted from one foot to the other at the eye contact, clearly uncomfortable. Now where did she know that face from? Her mind was starting to get foggy. It was getting harder and harder to think straight, with each painful mark being printed into her flesh. 

"Now everybody back to your suites" 

It was over. Farah held back a sigh of relief when the lashings stopped. She wasn't sure how much she could've taken anymore. Her legs were shaking violently, her back raw and painful. She was feeling dizzy with the ache that seemed to have spread through her entire body. After Rosalind's dismissal, most of the students scurried out of the dining hall like a bunch of frightened mice. A handful of the braver students remained, partly out of protest, partly because they still felt frozen on the spot. Amongst the disbelief and horror, Farah could see the pity forming in their eyes and suddenly she willed them to follow Rosalind's directions and go away. She couldn't face their sympathy and remain strong at the same time. One more push and her defenses would come crashing down. There was no telling what would be let when they did. P  
Fortunately, such emotion was absent from Ben's concerned face as he rushed over to where she was standing, ready to cut her loose and have a look at her ruined skin. 

"Leave her!"

Farah noticed the way Ben's jaw set stubbornly in response to Rosalind's orders. Shaking her head, she silently communicated with him, knowing her words would echo in his mind. She'd be alright, it really wasn't worth making any more trouble over. After a moment of indecision, Ben retreated with the utmost reluctance and, under Rosalind's watchful eye, began to sheppard the remaining students out of the room. He was met with little resistance, but the unhappiness at leaving their teacher in such a state was almost unmistakable. 

\---- 

"Shit" 

Riven cursed as soon as he stepped out of the room with Sky on his heels. Due to his association with Beatrix, he'd had certain privileges within the new regime at Alfea. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't enjoyed these privileges so far. But this... this was atricious.

"Shit"

He repeated, unable to find any other words. He turned to Sky who looked haunted, an expression which Riven suspected was mirrored on his own face. 

"Still happy with the changes?" 

Sky spat, refusing to meet his eye. They'd had a spectacular fight at the beginning of the year. For Sky, the return of his father had been accompanied by a myriad of conflicting feelings. Part of him had been happy at the chance to get to know Andreas. However any feelings of joy were dampened by hurt that Andreas had never contacted him before. Besides, despite his initial anger at Saul, the loss he felt after the arrest of the only father figure he'd ever known had left a physical emptiness behind. On the other hand, while conflicted when it came to Andreas replacing Saul, his feelings concerning the demotion of Miss Dowling were clear as day. Having practically grown up at Alfea, he knew Miss Dowling better than most, specialists and fairies alike. What's more, he trusted her completely. The same could not be said of Graythorne. The moment he'd laid eyes on the new headmistress he'd felt a swell of uneasiness in his chest, somehow being able to perceive something sinister behind those bright blue eyes. Sky just couldn't understand how his friend could so happily accept the current leadership. Sensing Riven was about to say something else, Sky took a few steps away from him to catch up with Bloom, sending a clear message he was done talking. 

Soon Riven was left alone in the hallway, feeling troubled. Had he been wrong to change allegiance so quickly? He didn't know Miss Dowling that well, but she'd been nothing but kind to him. He might have found it kind of fun to see his classmates struggle in Andreas' training, but what had just happened to Miss Dowling was barbaric. Plain and simple. 

"Hey what's with the long face?" 

Beatrix emerged from the dining hall and Riven couldn't help but wonder what she'd been doing in there. The cheerful expression on her face suddenly filled him with disgust. He'd always thought they were pretty much the same: him and Beatrix. Both outsiders, both not above bending the rules from time to time. Yet in that very moment, Riven realised how very little he actually had in common with the fairy in front of him. How could she be so completely unfazed after having witnessed what was essentially the torture of one of their teachers? It simply didn't make any sense to him. 

"What are you grinning about? That was seriously fucked up Beatrix."

He voiced his bewilderment at her lack of empathy, but she merely shrugged.

"Dowling's getting what she deserves." 

Her indifference towards the absolute depravity of Rosalind's actions was starting to make him angry. 

"Yeah, you keep saying that! But how can this be what she deserves?! Shit Beatrix, this was horrifying. The only way this could've been worse was if she'd actually broken down." 

Riven suddenly felt a strange sort of pride at Miss Dowling's show of strength. Judging from the way her body had jerked forward with each flick of Graythorne's wrist, the blows had been extremely forceful. Still Dowling had stood tall, bearing it with an amount of courage Riven hadn't believed possible. He had to admire her for that. Naturally, Beatrix was far from impressed. 

"She will break sooner or later. Rosalind's far from done with her." 

She said casually before moving to place a kiss on his cheek - perhaps to deflect the obvious tension between them - but Riven stepped sideways to stay out of reach. 

"This is messed up Bea.... Whatever she's done, she didn't deserve this. " 

Riven tried to get her to see sense, to raise this was wrong on so many levels. He just wasn't ready to accept the fact she could be so cruel.

"You don't know anything

Beatrix spat furiously in response, before stalking away, leaving Riven alone in the hallway once more. 

\------ 

Tears sprung to Musa's eyes when she reached the safety of her suite. She'd held it together until then. She didn't cry in front of people, never had, but even she had her limits. What they'd just witnessed was possibly the most sickening display she'd ever seen, or indeed felt. Relief washed over her when she set eyes on Sam, who was waiting for her in the suite. She let his arms envelop her and - for the first time since she'd known them - let go of her self-control in the presence of her friends. She felt fear and anger swirl around her, but she couldn't tell where her own emotions ended and where the other feelings began. 

"We need to do something." 

This time wasn't Bloom who suggested taking action. No, it was Terra who'd broken the silence, her jaw set stubbornly as if daring them to disagree. 

"We should, but we need to be clever about this. We can't let Rosalind take it out on Miss Dowling again." 

Unexpectedly, Aisha backed her up. She was more than a little shaken by the events in the dining hall. And while she was still firmly against the idea of starting a revolution against Rosalind, even she needed to concede they had to do something. 

"If you ask me, we should follow Dowling's example. Start learning magic we can use not just to defend ourselves, but to help others. Healing magic perhaps." Stella said decisively.

"And like it or not, we need to start keeping things from Miss Dowling. She's going to want to protect us, but we can't let her. Not again." 

They all nodded in agreement. Miss Dowling seemed hellbent on taking on Rosalind by herself in a attempt to shield them from the worst of it. They simply couldn't allow her to do that, not after what they'd seen tonight. However, Aisha was right. They needed to be smart if they wanted to succeed. As such, the six fairies and Sky in agreement they needed to do whatever they could in secret. While still busy brainstorming and planning, there was a knock on the door.

"I thought I might find you here." 

Riven said as he stepped through the open door into the suite, his eyes firmly on Sky. 

"I've been an arsehole." 

He let his head hang to make it clear just how sorry he was. As Sky's best friend, he was supposed to be there for him. Especially now he was having a hard time of it. Yet, blinded by his newfound position within the school, Riven realised he had failed his friend. From now on, he needed to do better, be better. 

\---- 

Ben had been on stand by since the incident, his medi-kit prepared and ready to go. When after two hours he finally got permission to tend to Farah he practically ran through the school. Upon entering the dining hall he immediately realised Farah had passed out. The cords that were holding her up earlier had been cut and she was now lying on her stomach. The ripped halves of her blouse were arranged in such a way that the material didn't touch the open wounds on her back. Defintely not Rosalind's work, Ben realised. He looked at the single remaing soldier in wonder, but the man stoically looked ahead. Ben recognised him immediately, he'd attended Alfea around the same time Farah, Saul and himself did, just one or two years below them if he wasn't mistaken. 

"How long has she been out?" 

Ben tried a different approach as he sunk down to his knees next to the unconscious fairy. Her back was a frightful mess.

"About half an hour." 

The soldier answered gruffly, still not meeting his gaze. Ben swiftly undid the clasp of Farah's bra to inspect the skin underneath, which was red and bruised but unbroken. 

"Do you need any assistance." 

The other man's offer surprised him a little, but was a very welcome one nevertheless. Ben beckoned him closer, gesturing at Farah's unmarred shoulders.

"Can you hold her there? I need to start cleaning these wounds. Best to do it while she's still out, but in case she wakes up I need you to stop her from rolling onto her back." 

The soldier - James, Ben suddenly remembered his name - crouched down and gently placed his hands on Farah's shoulders. 

"What about..." 

James nodded at the glowing rope still tied around her wrists. 

"Leave them for now. She'll blow us both to pieces if she comes round while I'm cleaning these. It will be painful." 

He set to work quickly, silently thanking for small mercies that Farah didn't have to endure any more pain than she'd already had today. He was nearly finished when she started to stir. With a jolt she awoke, disoriented and in pain. Her breath quickened and Ben feared for a moment she'd start hyperventilating. 

"It's alright Farah. I am here and this is James..." He looked at the other man questioningly.

"James Harper. You probably don't remember, but I was a year below you at Alfea." 

James kept his hands firmly put on Farah's shoulders for which Ben was grateful. Now Farah was awake she might involuntarily pull away from his touch. He needed the soldier to hold her down while he did this job. 

"Almost finished cleaning your wounds. I'm also going to have to use some ointments on to make it heal faster and then I'll put on a dressing. Okay?" 

He waited for her nod before bringing the cloth to the open skin. James had to shift his weight until almost all of it rested on her upper body to keep her from moving when the material came into contact with the broken flesh. 

"Son of a..." 

Biting her lip, the scream she let out sounded muffled, partly because her chest was pressed into the floor by the weight of the soldier. Ben and James shared an uncomfortable look at having to hurt her. Regret was clearly written in the soldier's dark eyes. He had been ordered to stay with Farah to make sure no one would come back for her till further orders. Being a soldier of the solarian army meant taking orders without questions. And so he'd been made to stand there and watch as the exhausted woman slipped away further and further into unconsciousness. When she was completely out and her weight was hanging entirely from the magical rope attached to the ceiling, he couldn't stand by idly anymore. Careful not to touch the open skin on her back, he wound an warm around her upperbody to hold her upright while he cut through the rope. He didn't dare untie her hands in case Rosalind came back. Gently he placed her unconscious form on the ground. When Rosalind had indeed come in to inform him she was sending Ben over, she had cast a disapproving glance on the figure on the floor and then at James, who had a sinking feeling he wouldn't be picked for these kind of jobs anymore

"All done, let me just put some of this on there for the scarring." 

Now all the blood had been removed, he could take a closer look at the intricate web of whipmarks. It was even worse than he'd initially thought. 

"You promised you were going to be careful Farah." 

Ben said quietly while working on bandaging her back. As soon as the risk of being obliterated had dissipated, James had cut through the rope around Farah's arms and helped her to sit upright. After that he'd left the pair alone. 

"You're one to speak. You were about to interfere as well." She reminded him of his own actions earlier that day. Her hand found his for a moment, squeezing his fingers together. 

"Yes, I was" He admitted, remembering the push of magic that had stopped him. 

"But you know she's got a score to settle with you. Please don't give her any more ammunition."


End file.
